Dahlia plant named ‘Dapared’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Dahlia  plant named ‘Dapared’, characterized by its red-colored ray florets, yellow-colored disc florets, dark green-colored foliage, and compact, upright, and mounded growth habit.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Dahlia variabilis.

Variety denomination: ‘Dapared’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Dahlia plantbotanically known as Dahlia variabilis and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Dapared’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program inRijsenhout, The Netherlands, on Jun. 1, 2000. The objective of thebreeding program was the development of freely flowering Dahliacultivars with large flowers and a compact, and upright growth habit.

The male parent of the new cultivar was the commercially availablecultivar Connie, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,768. ‘Connie’ is characterized byits red-colored ray florets and compact, upright growth habit. Thefemale parent of the new cultivar was the proprietary breeding selectiondesignated ‘3323’, not patented. ‘3323’ is characterized by itsred-colored ray florets, dark green-colored foliage, and compact growthhabit. Seed from the above stated cross-pollination was germinated andgrown to maturity. One plant within the progeny was discovered andselected by the inventor on Aug. 1, 2001 at Rijsenhout, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings takensince August 2001 at Rijsenhout, Netherlands and West Chicago, Ill. hasdemonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with allcharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Dapared’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Dahlia plant:

-   -   1. Semi-double flower form.    -   2. Red-colored ray florets and yellow-colored disc florets.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Compact, upright, and mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the male parentprimarily in growth habit and from plants of the female parent in flowersize and flower color.

Of the many Dahlia cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar tothe new cultivar is the male parent ‘Connie’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,768.However, in side by side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differfrom plants of ‘Connie’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar are more compact than plants of        ‘Connie’.    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar exhibit ray florets of a slightly        different color than do plants of ‘Connie’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of the new cultivar.The plants were grown for 11 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Dapared’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single inflorescence of‘Dapared’ with the ray florets just opened.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of a single inflorescence of‘Dapared’ with the ray florets fully open and the disc florets unopen.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of a single inflorescence of‘Dapared’ with fully open ray florets and fully open disc florets.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2001 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined on Jun. 15, 2005 between10:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. under natural light conditions in WestChicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom cuttings of stock plants and grown in a doublepolycarbonate-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 10 cm pots for 11weeks while utilizing a soil-less growth medium. Greenhouse temperatureswere maintained at approximately 65°-75° F. (18°-24° C.) during the dayand approximately 60°-65° F. (15°-18° C.) during the night. Greenhouselight levels were maintained at approximately 4,000-6,000 footcandlesduring the day. Plants were pinched three weeks after planting of rootedcuttings.

-   Botanical classification: Dahlia variabilis cultivar Dapared.-   Parentage:    -   -   Male, pollen, parent.—‘Connie’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,768.        -   Female, seed, parent.—Proprietary Dahlia breeding selection            designated ‘3323’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7 to 10 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 to 28            days.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.        -   Tubers.—Will form under short day conditions of at least 13            to 14 hours of darkness.-   Plant description:    -   -   Crop time.—Approximately 6-8 weeks.        -   Growth habit.—Basal branching, pinching enhances branching.        -   General appearance and form.—Upright, mounded and vigorous.        -   Size.—Height from top of soil to top of plant plane:            Approximately 18 cm. Height from top of soil to top of            foliage: Approximately 13 cm. Width/area of spread:            Approximately 21.7 cm.        -   Branch description.—Quantity per plant: Approximately 4.            Strength: Strong. Length: Approximately 9.6 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 6.5 mm. Length of center internode:            Approximately 1.1 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: Between 144A            and 144B.        -   Foliage.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch:            Approximately 11. Type: Simple and compound. Quantity of            leaflets per compound leaf: 3. Fragrance: None. Arrangement:            Opposite. Aspect: At acute angle to stem at first, becoming            downturning with age. Leaf/leaflet: Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Acuminate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Venation pattern:            Pinnate. Color of upper surface of all leaves/leaflets:            Darker than 137A with venation of 145B. Color of lower            surface of all leaves/leaflets: Lighter than N138B with            venation of 145D. Texture of upper and lower surface of all            leaves/leaflets: Sparse pubescence, denser along veins.            Length of simple leaf: Approximately 7.0 cm. Width of simple            leaf: Approximately 5.4 cm. Length of petiole of simple            leaf: Approximately 3.1 cm. Diameter of petiole of simple            leaf: Approximately 3.3 mm. Texture of petiole of simple            leaf: Glabrous. Color of petiole of simple leaf: Between            145B and 145C. Length of mature trifoliate leaf:            Approximately 7.3 cm. Width of mature trifoliate leaf:            Approximately 9.4 cm. Length of petiole of mature trifoliate            leaf: Approximately 3.8 cm. Diameter of petiole of mature            trifoliate leaf: Approximately 3.5 mm. Texture of petiole of            mature trifoliate leaf: Glabrous. Color of petiole of mature            trifoliate leaf: Between 145B and 145C with 187A where            leaflets are attached. Length of terminal leaflet:            Approximately 6.0 cm. Width of terminal leaflet:            Approximately 4.4 cm. Length of lateral leaflet:            Approximately 5.1 cm. Width of lateral leaflet:            Approximately 3.3 cm.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Outdoor flowering habit.—‘Dapared’ is freely flowering under            outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous            blooming from spring through autumn and year round in            greenhouse environment.        -   Time to first flower.—Approximately 8 weeks.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Type: Composite. Arrangement: Terminal, arising            from leaf axils on strong peduncles, positioned over the            foliage. Disc and ray florets arranged acropetally on a            capitulum. Persistent.        -   Quantity per plant.—Approximately 3 fully open at any one            time.        -   Lastingness of bloom.—7-10 days.        -   Shape/size.—Hemispherical. Aspect: Facing upward or slightly            outward. Diameter: Approximately 7.5 cm. Depth:            Approximately 4.2 cm. Disc diameter: Approximately 1.1 cm.            Receptical diameter: Approximately 8.8 mm. Receptical            height/depth: Approximately 3.7 mm. Receptical color: 145A.        -   Flower bud.—Quantity per plant: Approximately 4 showing            color at any one time. Rate of opening: Generally takes            approximately 2 weeks for buds to progress from first color            to fully open flower. Shape: Oblate. Length at first color:            Approximately 1.9 cm. Width at first color: Approximately            1.8 cm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 18C.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity: Approximately 67 per inflorescence.            Shape: Elliptic, cupped. Apex: Emarginate with three tips.            Base: Attenuate, fused to form tube. Margin: Entire. Length:            Approximately 3.5 cm. Width: Approximately 1.7 cm. Texture:            Glabrous. Color of upper surface when just open: 45A. Color            of lower surface when just open: 179A. Color of upper            surface when fully open: 44A. Color of lower surface when            fully open: Closest to 179A with ridges of 1C.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity: Approximately 35. Shape:            Cylindrical. Apex: 5 acute tips. Length: Approximately            1.2 cm. Diameter at apex: Approximately 2.4 mm. Diameter at            base: Approximately 1.1 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color:            Transparent, closest to 6B.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect. Length:            Approximately 3.3 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2.6 mm.            Texture: Glabrous. Color: 144A.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity: One per floret. Shape: Linear,            slightly overlapping. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Length of outermost phyllary: Approximately 1.6 cm.            Width of outermost phyllary: Approximately 5.6 mm. Length of            innermost phyllary: Approximately 1.2 cm. Width of innermost            phyllary: Approximately 3.9 mm. Texture of upper and lower            surfaces: Glabrous. Color of upper and lower surfaces: 145B            with 143A at base.        -   Secondary phyllaries.—Quantity: Approximately 8. Shape:            Rhomboidal. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Width: Approximately 5.4 mm.            Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color of            upper and lower surfaces: 137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium — On disc florets. Stamen            number: 5. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length:            Approximately 4 mm. Anther color: 14A. Pollen amount:            Abundant. Pollen color: 17A. Gynoecium — On disc and ray            florets. Pistil length: Approximately 1.7 cm. Stigma length:            4 mm. Stigma color: 14B. Style length: 1.25 cm. Style color:            1B. Ovary length: 1.5 mm. Ovary color: 150D.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Dahlia has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Dapared’,substantially as herein shown and described.